Opentrons

What Opentrons does

Opentrons Labworks Inc. is a Brooklyn-based life science company, founded in 2014, that develops modular, open-source pipetting robot technology to automate laboratory experiments. Its core hardware lineup comprises the OT-2 robot — the workhorse of academic labs worldwide and cited in 808 peer-reviewed publications — and the more recent Opentrons Flex, a configurable enterprise platform with gripper, thermocycler, and thermal modules that interoperate with third-party devices through a universal deck and open API. The company's software stack includes the open-source Python Protocol API, a no-code Protocol Designer (21 CFR Part 11 compliant), the OpentronsAI generative-AI tool for natural-language protocol generation (trained and validated on NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Cosmos), the new Protocol Visualization simulation feature, and Compliance Ready Software for regulated environments.

Opentrons serves four primary customer segments: top 15 global biopharma companies, top 20 U.S. research universities, diagnostic and clinical labs (including its Pandemic Response Lab subsidiary), and genomics/sequencing OEM partners such as BD, Ultima Genomics, and Portal Bio. Revenue is generated through five streams: one-time hardware sales (Flex, OT-2, modules, OEM-embedded instruments); recurring consumables (pipette tips, plates, reagent kits); software and compliance subscriptions (OpentronsAI, CRS, cloud protocol management); professional services and integration with partners (HighRes, Retisoft, Biosero, Repado); and OEM/white-label licensing. The go-to-market is intentionally multi-channel, combining enterprise field sales to large biopharma and Tier-1 universities, a distributor/reseller network in 79+ countries, OEM embedding partnerships, self-serve e-commerce for SMB and academic buyers, and presence at major industry conferences.

The business is venture-backed (most recently a $200M Series C led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a $1.8B valuation in 2021, with a Form D filing for an additional $56M+ exempt offering in December 2025), privately held, and operationally expanding, with subsidiaries including Pandemic Response Lab, Neochromosome (synthetic biology and antibody discovery), and Zenith AI (bioinformatics AI, acquired 2021). The company employs 101-250 people across its New York headquarters and a Shenzhen manufacturing subsidiary, and is in the midst of a leadership transition with James Atwood named CEO on January 29, 2026, signaling an AI- and automation-led strategic direction.

Name

Opentrons

Legal name

Opentrons Labworks Inc.

Website

https://opentrons.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Opentrons Labworks Inc. develops modular, open-source pipetting robot technology (OT-2 and Opentrons Flex) with AI-driven protocol software, serving global biopharma, top research universities, diagnostic labs, and OEM genomics partners across 79+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Automation / Liquid Handling Robotics

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lab Automation, Instrument Control & Workflow Orchestration Software (HLAGAJAG), Laboratory Automation, Sample Prep & Liquid Handling (IVD Lab Diagnostics) (HLAHAAAN), Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Laboratory robotics
• Liquid handling automation
• Automated lab workcells
• Pipetting robot systems
• Lab automation software

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: One-time sale of robotic liquid-handling systems (Opentrons Flex, OT-2), modules, workstations, and OEM-embedded instruments; primary revenue stream with land-and-expand across labs.
2. Consumables (Pipette Tips, Reagents, Plates): Recurring revenue from proprietary consumables required to operate Flex/OT-2 systems, including pipette tips, well plates, and reagent kits bundled through the Assay Workstation offering.
3. Software & Compliance Subscriptions: Recurring/enterprise licensing for OpentronsAI, Compliance-Ready Software (21 CFR Part 11), Protocol Designer Pro, and cloud-based protocol management.
4. Professional Services & Support: Implementation, integration, training, validation, and managed services delivered with partners (HighRes, Retisoft, Biosero, Repado) for enterprise automation deployments.
5. OEM/White-label Licensing: Licensing and OEM revenue from partners (Ultima Genomics, BD, Cephla, Portal Bio) embedding Opentrons hardware/technology into their own branded products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Opentrons designs, manufactures, and sells modular liquid-handling laboratory robots (Opentrons Flex, OT-2, Flex Prep) and a proprietary open-source software stack (Python Protocol API, Protocol Designer, Opentrons App, OpentronsAI, Compliance Ready Software) used by biopharma, academic, diagnostic, and genomics laboratories to automate wet-lab protocols. The company also sells proprietary consumables (pipette tips, well plates, reagent kits) and pre-validated automated workcells co-developed with partners such as MilliporeSigma and HighRes Biosolutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Neochromosome: Subsidiary of Opentrons Labworks focused on antibody discovery and genome-scale cell engineering; operates a dedicated site (neochromosome.com).

Products and services

• Opentrons Flex Modular liquid-handling robot platform with configurable deck, gripper, and thermal/thermocycler modules; works alongside third-party modules via a universal deck and open API, used by biopharma, academic, and diagnostic labs for automated wet-lab protocols.
• OT-2 Robot Open-source liquid-handling robot with Python API and Protocol Designer; the workhorse of academic labs globally, cited in 808+ peer-reviewed publications and used for genomics, proteomics, and chemistry workflows.
• OpentronsAI AI assistant that uses natural-language prompts to generate, simulate, and verify Python protocol code for Opentrons Flex and OT-2 robots, with a chat interface and integration into the Opentrons ecosystem.
• Protocol Designer Browser-based drag-and-drop protocol builder that lets non-programmers design protocols for Flex and OT-2; supports 21 CFR Part 11 compliance for regulated environments.
• Python Protocol API Open-source Python SDK allowing researchers and developers to write, share, and version-control robot protocols; underpins the community protocol library and ecosystem of third-party developers.
• Compliance Ready Software (CRS) Software package providing electronic signatures, audit trails, and access controls aligned with 21 CFR Part 11 for regulated pharmaceutical and diagnostic workflows on Opentrons Flex.
• Opentrons App Companion application for controlling Opentrons Flex and OT-2 robots, managing protocols and labware, and (as of v9.0) visualizing AI-generated lab workflows before physical execution.
• Pipettes Proprietary pipette heads and pipettes for use with Opentrons Flex and OT-2 liquid-handling robots, sold as accessories for the company's robotic platforms.
• Tips & Labware Proprietary pipette tips, well plates, and other labware required to operate Opentrons Flex and OT-2 systems, sold as recurring consumables.
• Modules & Accessories Configurable deck modules and accessories (including gripper, thermal, and thermocycler modules) for the Opentrons Flex platform.
• Instrument Services Professional services including on-site installation, implementation, training, validation, and managed services for Opentrons Flex and OT-2 deployments.
• Neochromosome Antibody Discovery Wholly-owned Opentrons Labworks subsidiary offering antibody discovery and genome-scale cell engineering services, leveraging the Opentrons automation platform.

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• BenchlingcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 May 2026Technology integration linking Benchling's R&D cloud platform with Opentrons' protocol execution and lab robotics, enabling connected lab workflows from experimental design through execution.
• NVIDIAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Strategic co-development partnership announced Feb 5, 2026 to integrate NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Cosmos foundation models into OpentronsAI, enabling physically-accurate simulation-based training of robotic lab workflows before real-world deployment.
• HighRes BiosolutionsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Strategic partnership to integrate Opentrons Flex into HighRes' automated workcell platforms, enabling modular liquid-handling inside larger cell-culture and screening workcells for biopharma customers.
• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 October 2025Multi-year commercial and technology collaboration to combine BD's diagnostic and life-sciences instruments with Opentrons' automation stack for clinical and research workflows.
• MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2025Co-development and commercialization partnership for the Automated Assay Workstation (AAW), pairing MilliporeSigma/Promega reagents with Opentrons Flex as the automation backbone for cell-based and biochemical assays.
• Ultima GenomicscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOEM/embedded partnership integrating Opentrons robotics into Ultima Genomics' sequencing front-end workflows for low-cost, high-throughput genomics.
• Retisoft, IncminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkcell integration partner that bundles Opentrons robots into larger automated lab workcells and delivers integration services to enterprise customers.
• BioserominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkcell integration partner delivering end-to-end lab automation solutions that incorporate Opentrons hardware alongside Biosero's scheduling and orchestration software.
• RepadominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkcell integration partner implementing Opentrons robots within larger automated laboratory systems.
• PromegacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReagent partner in the Automated Assay Workstation ecosystem alongside MilliporeSigma, providing assays and chemistries validated on Opentrons Flex.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Tecan Group: Swiss leader in laboratory liquid-handling robotics and automated workstations for genomics, drug discovery, and clinical diagnostics. Directly competes with Opentrons Flex/OT-2 across pharma R&D and academic core labs, and is named in Opentrons' own competitive comparison.
• Hamilton Company: US-based manufacturer of precision liquid-handling robots (Microlab STAR, etc.) and lab automation used by pharma, biotech, and clinical labs. Directly comparable to Opentrons in target customers and core pipetting/automation functionality, and is explicitly cited as a competing incumbent.
• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Danaher): Provider of the Biomek liquid-handling platform and a broad life-sciences instrumentation portfolio under Danaher. Directly competes with Opentrons in pharma and academic automation, and is named in Opentrons' competitive landscape.
• Eppendorf: German manufacturer of premium pipettes, liquid-handling workstations, and consumables for life-science research. Directly competes with Opentrons on pipetting accuracy, ergonomics, and lab automation, particularly in academic and pharma labs.
• INTEGRA Biosciences: Manufacturer of handheld electronic pipettes, benchtop liquid handlers (e.g., ASSIST PLUS), and reagent reservoirs serving pharma, biotech, and academic labs. A focused mid-market peer with overlapping customer use cases in walk-away pipetting.
• SPT Labtech: UK-based provider of automated liquid-handling and sample-prep solutions (e.g., Mosquito, Firefly) for genomics, drug discovery, and structural biology. Comparable to Opentrons Flex as a smaller, focused liquid-handling specialist.
• Andrew Alliance (Waters Corporation): Andrew Alliance pioneered smart, connected pipetting robots (Andrew+) for academic and pharma labs and was acquired by Waters Corporation. Closely comparable to OT-2 on form factor, openness, and academic adoption, and now part of a larger chromatography/instruments vendor.

Broad incumbents

• Agilent Technologies: Large analytical instruments and life-sciences automation vendor spanning chromatography, cell analysis, and automated sample prep. Competes with Opentrons in pharma and academic workflows as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life-sciences tools giant offering automation, consumables, and instrumentation across pharma, biotech, and clinical diagnostics. Overlaps with Opentrons in automated sample prep and lab automation but as part of a broad portfolio.
• Revvity (formerly PerkinElmer): Diversified life-sciences and diagnostics company offering automated liquid-handling and lab robotics solutions (including the former PerkinElmer automation line). Competes with Opentrons in pharma and academic automation through a broader product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OpenTrons_
• GitHubgithub.com/Opentrons
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvMRmXIxnHs3AutkVhuqaQg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opentrons-labworks-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/opentrons_
• Facebookfacebook.com/opentronslabworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opentrons